Autographic register.



c. Bmsow.

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6. |911. 1,228,759. Patented Apr. 24,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I. @dI/I w I D /i I /f 1/ l) I) a) C. BRISTOW. AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER. APPLICATION man 050.16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. BRISTOW.

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER.

1,223,759. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16. 1911l Patented-Apr. 24, @SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

CHARLES BRISTOW, OE FENDALTON, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR T0 THE IMPERIAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, LIMITED, OIE' WELLINGTON, NEW ZEA- LAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW ZEALA AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '24,- 191 v.

Application led December 16, 1911. Serial No. 666,311..

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES BRIsTow, a citizen ofthe Dominion of New Zealand, and residing at Fendalton, Christchurch, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autographic Registers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to what are known as cash registers or sales recorders and particularly to the class of such machines in which a plurality of paper ribbons are employed. A

The drawings illustrate the invention Figure I, is a plan,

Fig. '2, a plan of the machine with the lid removed,

Fig. 3, a longitudinal elevation with the side of the casing removed,

Fig. 4, a longitudinal central sectional elevation,

Fig. 5, a longitudinal elevation of the reverse side with the casing removed and showing portions of the device in section,

Fig. 6, an elevation of a lever,

Fig. 7, an elevation partly in section of the releasing mechanism,

Fig. 8, a perspective elevation of a spring loop,

Fig. 10, a sectional elevation of feed rollers,

Fig. 11, a sectionalelevation, and

Fig. 12, an elevation of a housing drum and arm,

Fig. .13, a sectional elevation oftriplicate carbon mechanism,

Fig. 14 lillustrates a modied form of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7,'and Fig; 15 is 9, a sectional elevation of a spring Y anend el'evationthereo Fig. 16, a perspective View of a brake. Fig. 17 is a detailed view of the mounting and invoice ribbons, Fig. 18 is an enlarged plan view of one side of the frame supporting the detail ribbon, Fig. 19-is a side view of this frame, and Fig. 20 is a front vierty of one end of said frame.

Referring to the drawings, the invoice ribbon 1 passes between upper and lower feed rollers 2 and 3 together with a duplicating ribbon 4. The feed of the ribbons is regulated by a brake 5 consisting of a shoe 6 curved to correspond to the roller 2 and carrying friction rollers 7 and 8 which bear upon the said roller. A stem 9 integral with the shoe passes through a screw 10 screwed through a cap 11. By adjusting the screw 10 the rollers 7 and 8 are made to bear more or less heavily upon the upper feed roller 2. In practice it is found thata certain amount of slip occurs between the feed rollers and the paper and this slip is made use of to regulate the feed of the paper, when the dockets printed on the paper get slightly out of register with the opening 185. By adjusting the pressure of the roller 2 against the roller 3 by means of the screw 10, the amount of slip between the rollers and the paper is increased or decreased, and the eX- tent of feed of the paper relatively to the opening 185 is correspondingly decreased or increased, thus bringing the dockets into correct register with said opening.

The upper feed roller 2 is covered with rubber 14 and is carried in a frame 15 of which the cap 11 forms an integral part. The frame is pivoted by pins 16 to the main frames 17 and 18 of the machine, and is locked in operative position by set screws 19 and 20. A' ring groove is made in the rubber 14 at the middle part of the roller to allow the rollers 7 and 8 to bear directly upon the roller. The ressure of the brake occurring upon the middle part of the roller 2 and the ends of the roller moving freely in their bearings,'all0w the roller to line itself up readily with the main feed roller 3.

The detail ribbon 25 passes over a plate 26 rovided with a longitudinal roove 27 ig. 4 along which the thumb nail, a knife blade or the like, may be traveled to cut l projecting plates 17 and 18 by screws 28if passing through the portions 28, and the plates 17 and 18 being cut away at 28", Figs. 4 and 19. The side portions 28 are formed with slots 28, the lower ends of which form bearings for the spindles 35 and 36 of the spools 29 and 30, and the spindles are retained in the slots by retaining members 31 and 32, having semicircular recesses 32, Figs. 5 and 19, which co-act with the upper surfaces of the spindles. The retainin members are pivoted at 33 and 34 to t e side portions 28 and may be raised to permit the spools to be removed from their bearing slots 28.

Pressure is brought to bear upon the spindle ends 35 and 36 of the-spools'29 and 30 by fingers 37 and 38 pivoted upon pins 39 and 40 carried by the frame portions 28, Fig. 17 and lhaving their outer ends resting upon the side members 31 and 32. The ends of the fingers 37, 38 adjacent the pivots 39, 40 are fiattened, and springs 41 and 42 bear upon said flattened parts to' cause the outer. ends of the fingers to press downwardly upon the side members 31 and 32. This friction prevents the Wind up bobbin 30 from overrunning.

Friction is applied to the underside of the spool 29 by a spring 43 secured to the rear crosspiece 44 of the frames 17 and 18.

For securing the carbon sheet 45 the upper end of the sheet is folded or bent over and its edge passed into a slot 46 in a table 47 extending across the mechanism from the frame 17 to the frame 18, and a right angle wedge piece 48 has one side forced into the slot 46 and the other side lies across the'top' of the carbon sheet. Fig. 13 shows the ar rangement when more than one carbon sheet and record ribbon is employed. A second table 50 and angle piece 51 are employed to hold another carbon sheet 52 for another record ribbon 53. The Wedge piece 48 has an overlapping finger piece 54 at one end, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby it may be removed from the slot 46.

The spool 30 is rotated by a handle 55 through the casing 56 from an arm 57 pivoted upon the main locking lever 58 by a pin 59 and fulcrumed upon a stud 60 projecting from the frame plate 18. 'The lever 58 is also fulcrumed upon the pin 59. A hook pawl 61 is journaled upon a stud 62 projecting from the arm 57. A tension spring 63 is connected at one end to an arm 64 carried by the pawl and at the other end to the stud 60. When the handle 55 is operated, the pawl 61 engages and rotates one tooth at a time, a star wheel 65 fixed upon the spindle of the spool 30. The star wheel is prevented from turning backward by a spring pawl 65 Fig. 2.

A spool 66 upon which the ribbon 4 is wound is driven by friction from the main feed roller 3, against which it is pressed by arms 67 projecting from cylindrical housing drums 68 rotatably mounted in the frames 17 and 18 and retained by studs 69 having large heads 70. Each drum 68 contains a coil spring 73 which causes its arm 67 to press upon the spindle 74 of the spool 66. The spool is thereby pressed against the roller 3. As the roll of paper increases on the spool 66, the arms 67 yield until finally the spindle 74 passes out of the slots 76 in which the spindle is carried and the spooll 'falls to the bottom of the casing.` An opertor is thus made aware that the spool is ull.

To retain the arms 67 clear of the slots 76 while the spool 66 is inserted, a pawl 77,l

having a housing drum 78 containing a spring 79 and pivoted upon a pin 80, is employed and engages in a notch 81 in the flange 82 of the housing drum 68. The rotation of the housing drum 68 is limited by a pin 83 projecting from the frame plate into a cut away part of the flange 82.

' Spools 84 and 85 containing the invoice and record ribbons are loosely mounted upon the spindles 94 and 95 supported by the side frames 17 and 18.' The spools are kept in true alinement by means of spring loops 86,

which are secured to the frame 18 by means of screws 87. The loops 86 in view of their I springy nature extend inwardly froml the frame 18 and when the spools are in position the loops press against the ends thereof and hold the spools constantly in contact with studs 90, projecting from the plate 17 (see Figs. 4 and 18): .The loop portions 88 of the, spring loops 86 surround the spindles 94 and 95 of the spools and the end 91 of the loop 88 is bent at right angles to the main portion of the lo'op and extends into a hole 92 Fig. 18 in the plate 18 in order to guide the loop.

Spool spindles 94 and 95 are made of brass tubing, fiared at one end as shown in Fig. 18 and prevented from working out of the frames-17, 18 by keepers 96 pivoted to the frame plate 17 by pins 97. To insert the spindles in their bearing apertures in the frames the keepers 96 are raised from in front of the apertures in the plate 17, and the spindles 94, 95 inserted therein. The engagement of the flared ends ofthe spindles with the frame 17 prevents further movement of the spindles, and the movement of the keepers 96 over the ends of the spindles prevents their return movement. The keepers swing over the ends of the spindles when the frames 17 and 18 are in their normal position, and swing clear of the spindles when the frames are raised so that the spindles can be readily removed.

A drawer alarm bell 98 is rung by a bell crank lever 99 having a projecting stop arm 100, a spring 101 upon and lying alongside the said arm being adapted to be arrested inI its movement by a stud 102 projecting from the plate 17.

A striking piece or detent 103 of the lever 99 is adapted to be engaged by a cam 104.- rotated by the main operating handle 105.

Inclined levers 120 and 121, hinged at their ends on pins 122 and 123 in a bracket 121 have coil springs 125 which raise them to a vertical position. The levers extend upwardly from the bottom of the machine case and contact with the paper ribbons 1 and 4. Short arms 126 hold the levers in a correct position to be depressed by the ribbons 1 and 4, when the side frames are lowered.` The levers exert a tension. upon the said 'spools and during the lowering ofthe frames, the spools roll upon the levers and the small amount of slack incidental to the ribbon isv taken up. A differential tension is necessary owing to the diameter of the paper decreasing as it is used. The paper is more easily unwound when its diameter is greatest, that is to say, when the tension is greatest, and vice versa.

In order to prevent the opening of the cash drawer 127 until after4 the ribbons 1 and 4 have been moved through a predetermined space the following arrangement is employed; the spindle 128 of the handle 105 has a cam 129 which engages the main locking lever 58, which lever has slots 131 and 132 forming guides whereby the lever slides upon a stud 133 and a lug 131 projecting from the frame 18. The lever 58 has a projecting stop 135 adapted to arrest the cam 129 and stop the mechanism until the lever has been shifted forward by the handle 55 in the direction shown b the arrow. The return of the lever is e ected by the same cam 129 contacting with another projection 136 of the lever. The lever has a stop 137 in its rear slot 132 which engages the lug or projection 131 when the lever is moved forward, a spiral spring 138 raising the lever for this purpose. lever remains locked until released by the cam 129.

The cash drawer 127 is locked by a vertical rising locking bar 140 which engages in a hole in a plate 141 carried by the drawer at the rear thereof. The end 151 of the locking bar 58 enters an aperture in a part 152 formed upon the top of the bar 140 and the rising of the rear end of the bar, owing to the action of the cam 129, causes the bar 140 to rise to release the drawer. v y

To enable the drawer 127 to be opened, if desired and the detail ribbon 25 to be used without operating the ribbons ,1 and 4, a trip 'cam 158 is employed. This cam is sided and journaled upon a stud 159 projecting from the frame 18, has a head 160 by which it may be turned, a gap 161 receiving a pin 162 to limit its rotativa and The so that its face 157 is adjacent to the lever l 58, then .the said lever can rise to allow the said notch to lock against the lug 131.

To enable the feed roller 3 to be revolved when desired, (as for instance, when it is required to take up the ribbon 4) while the cash drawer 127 remains locked, a pinion 165 freely mounted upon the feed roller spindle 166, gears with a toothed wheel 167 fixed to the spindle 128 of the handle 105.

The spindle 166 has also a spring operated lsleeve 1671 slidably engaged by a feather 168 and'a screw 186 which enters a groove 169 formed longitudinally along the spindle. The sleeve terminates in teeth 171 adapted to engage corresponding teeth 172 formed upon the pinion 165, which together form a clutch.

In order to turn the feed roller without turning the handle 105 it is necessary to disengage the teeth 171 from the teeth 172. This release is effected by' tripping a trigger 173 mounted upon a bar 174 secured to the milled heady 175 of the clutch. lVhen the trigger is tripped as shown in Fig. 7 by full lines, the clutch is pulled outwardly to disengage the teeth and leave the clutch free to be turned by its milled head 175 without turning the pinion 165 and the wheel 167. A spring 180 normally keeps the teeth 171 and 172 in engagement, and a weaker compression spring 181 keeps the pinion 165 in position against the plate 17 when the clutch .by a spring-1185 and when the clutch is lpulled outward, the friction roller 181 passes upon the conical boss 170 and allows a dog 186 of the pawl 183 to engage the teeth of the pinion 165 tolock the same. Until the dog is withdrawn the handle cannot be operated to release the cash drawer 127.

rlphe pawl 183 is held permanently out of gear when desired, by an arm 190 which has a hole adapted to engage a pin 192 projecting from a stud 193.

To' operate the machine, the handle 55 is pulled forwardly after an invoice has been written on the ribbon 1 through the opening 185 in the lid 110, and the amount has been written on the detail ribbon through the opening 186.

The lever 58 is moved rearwardly when the handle 55 is pulled forwardly, and the stop 135 is thus moved out of the path of the cam 129. The vertical part of the slot 131 is also moved beneath the stud 133 'so as to allow the rear end of the lever to rise, and the stop 137 engages with the lug 131 so that the lever 58 and handle cannot be returned to their normal positions without first operating the handle 105 secured to the shaft 128.

The operating handle 105 is now turned and the feed rollers 2 and 3 are rotated through the toothed wheel 107 and pinion 165, and the invoice ribbon 1 emerges from between the feed rollers 2 and 3 through the aperture 185 in the lid 111 and may be torn off by hand. The record ribbon et is wound upon the spool G6 and can be read through a sheet of glass 187 in said lid.

The cam 129 is rotated when the handle 105 is turned, and depresses the forward end of the lever 58 and raises the rear end thereof, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the rear end of the lever 58 when raised lifting the rod 110 and releasing the drawer 127, which is opened by its spring 150.

Vvlhen the forward end of the lever 58 is depressed the stop 137 -is released from the lug 134, and as the cam 129 continues to rotate. thev forward end of the lever 58 is raised and the rear end again depressed by the joint action of the spring 138 and the spring 140px surrounding the rod 140, so that the slot 132 is brought into register with the lug 134. On further rotation the cam 129 engages the projection 136 and moves the lever 58 forwardly-into its original position, as shown in full lines in Fig. G, the cam 129 again engaging the stop 135 at the completion of a revolution of the shaft 128.

The handle 55 is returned to its original position with the lever 58 and the spring l10 restores the rod 140 to its lowermost position, ready to again engage the hole in the plate 141 when the drawer is closed by h and. Thus when the rotation of the shaft 128 is completed the parts, excepting the cash drawer, are restored to their origi nal positions but the paper ribbons have, of course, been advanced.

lVhat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. In an autographic register, in combination, means for supporting a paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, a pair of rollers for feeding said ribbon, the upper roller being. freely movable in its end bearings, and a brake for applying pressure to the upper roller, saidbrake consisting of a shoe, friction rollers carried thereby and engaging said roller at circumferentially spaced points and a screw threaded member engaging said shoe for adjusting the pressure thereof on said roller.

2. In an autographic register, in combination, means for supporting a paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, means for intermittently feeding said ribbon, and a stationary plate over which said ribbon passes, said plate being formed with a lengthwise groove on its upper surface for the purpose described.

3. In an autographic register, in combination, spools upon which a paper ribbon is mounted, two side frames each having slots the lower ends of which form bearings in which said spools are journaled, retaining members pivotally 4mounted on the outer faces of said side frames and overlapping the upper portions thereof, said members normally holding said -spools in said open bearings, but movable to allow removal of said spools.

4. In an autographic register, in combination, spools upon which a paper ribbon is mounted, and two side frames for supporting said spools, each of said frames consisting of two pivotally connected parts having recesses formed in their adjacent faces, said recesses when the parts are closed together forming bearings in which said spools are journaled, and means carried by one of said frame parts for holding the parts normally7 in closed relation.

5. In an autographic register, iu combination, spools upon which a paper ribbon is mounted, two side frames for supporting said spools, each of said frames consisting of two pivotally connected parts having recesses formed in their adjacent faces, said recesses when the parts are closed together forming bearings in which said spools are journaled, and means for yieldingly holding said parts together.

6. In an autographic register, in combination, spools upon which a paper ribbon is mounted, two side frames each having open bearings in which said spools are journaled, retaining members pivotally mounted on said side frames and normally holding said spools in said open bearings, but movable to allow removal of said spools, and means for yieldingly holding said retaining members in operative positions.

7. Inan autographic register, in combination, a spool for supporting a. paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, a feed roller for winding the ribbon on said spool, two side frames having slots in whichv the ends of saidl spool are guided, an a'rm pivoted on each of said frames, and supporting the corresponding end of the spool, said arms being entirely independent of each other, and springs for actuating said arms to hold the spool in engagement with the roller.

8. In an autographic register, in combinagagement with the end s of the Spool when desired.

9. In an autographic register, in combina-- tion, a spool'for supporting a paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, a feed roller for winding the ribbon on said spool,

two sideframes having slots in which the' ends of said spool are guided, an arm pivoted on each of said frames, and supporting the corresponding end of the spoo1,said arms being entirely independent of each other, springs for actuating said arms to hold the spool in engagement with the roller, a notch formed in each of said arms, and a pawl adapted to engage said notch to hold the arm out of engagement with the corresponding end of the spool when desired.

10. In an autographic register, 1n combination, a spool for supporting a paperribbon upon which items are to be recorded, side frames, a spindle carrying said spool and supported Vat both ends in bearings in said frames, and a loop of sprlngy material fixed to one of said frames and loosely surrounding said spindle but bearing agamst one end lof said Spool, to prevent axial move# ment thereof.

11. In an autographic register, in combination, a spool for supporting a paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, a spindle for supporting said spool, slde frames having bearing apertures therethrough in which said spindle is journaled, means for preventing axial movement of said spindle in one dlrection, and a keeper pivoted on the exterior of one of said frames and movable over the exterior of the aperture therein, to engage the end of the spindle to prevent axial lmovement thereof in the other direction.

12. In an autographic register, in'combination, a spool for supportin a p'aper ribbon upon which items are to e recorded, a

spindle for supporting said spool, side frames having bearing apertures therethrough in which said spindle is journaled, one end of said spindle being Hared to engage the adjacent side frame to prevent axial movement of the spindle in one direction, and a keeper pivoted on the exterior of said side frame and movable over the exterior of the aperture therein, to engage the end of the spindle to prevent axial movement thereof in the other direction.

13. In an autographic register, means for supporting a paper ribbon upon which items are to be recorded, means for feeding said ribbon, an operating handle for operating said feeding means, a cam operated by said handle, a locking lever engaging said cam lto yprevent operation of said handle, means for moving said lever out of engagement with said cam, and means for positively preventing return movement of said lever into locking position until the handle has been operated.

14. In an autographic register, means for supporting a plurality of paper ribbons upon which items areto be recorded, means for feeding said ribbons, a lever operated by the feeding means of one ribbon for controlling the operation of the feeding means of ,another ribbon, means for locking said lever when moved in position to permit operation of the feeding means controlled thereby and means operable to prevent locking of said lever.

15. In an autographic register, means for supporting a plurality of paper ribbons upon which items are to be recorded, means for feeding said ribbons, a lever operated by the feeding means of one ribbon `for controlling the operation of the feeding means of another ribbon, means for locking said lever when moved in position to permit operation of the feeding means controlled thereby' and means operable to prevent locking of said lever, comprising a rotary cam having two faces at different distances from the center thereof, ,adapted to engage and hold the lever in two positions.

16. In an autographic register, means for supporting a paper ribbon, a feed roller for feeding said ribbon, a spindle upon which said roller is secured, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon said spindle, means for rotating said wheel, a sleeve slidably secured to said spindle and adapted to -be engaged with and disengaged from said gear wheel, for connecting and disconnecting the same to and from said spindle, a cone carried by said sleeve, and a pawl carrying a roller bearing on said cone, the roller passing from a high to a low portion =of said cone when the gear and sleeve are disengaged to allow the paWl to engage the gear wheel.

17. In an autographic register, means for supporting a paper ribbon, a feed roller for feeding said ribbon, a spindle upon which said roller is Secured, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon said spindle, means for rotating said wheel, a sleeve slidably secured to sald spindle and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said gear wheel, for connecting and disconnecting the same to and from the said spindle, a cone carried by and sleeve are disengaged to allow the pawl to engage the gear wheel, an arm on said paWl and aprojection on the machine frame- Work, said arm having a hole to engage said projection and hold the pawl in the disengaged position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS ION COWLISHAW, JOSEPH BERTRAM NEALE. 

